Evening Star
by Melantha Mei
Summary: This is the first few parts of a saga. The names are changed, so you have to read the name list first. I hope to have mor up soon.
1. Setup

CHARACTERS  
Usagi= Thea  
Mamoru= Ender  
Ami= Harmony (Mona)  
Rei= Helena  
Makoto= Julia (Jules)  
Minako= Erika  
Setsuna= Patricia (Trish)  
Michiru= Nerissa  
Haruka= Victoria (Vic)  
Hotaru= Devina  
  
KINGDOMS  
Tyche= South  
Thetis= West  
Aidos= North  
Hebe= East 


	2. Prologue

Evening Star by Melantha Mei

Evening Star by Melantha Mei

Prologue

"Sometimes, when I'm in bed at night, I get this feeling like I'm falling. Its not like jumping off a cliff, either. It feels like a sudden drop and I'm falling, so I need to grab onto something or else I'll die. My head is swimming and I feel like someone stuck a spoon in my gut and stirred up my insides. I begin to panic. But then, just as I'm about to scream, I realize that I'm in my bed. I'm holding onto the mattress. I'm covered in sweat, my pulse is racing, and I feel so incredibly stupid because of it. Yet, it still happens. Sometimes I wish I really would fall, maybe then I could escape."

************

Thea looked up at the sky through her bedroom window. The stars shone so brightly that they looked like little shining diamonds adorning a cloth of black velvet. It was so beautiful that she just wanted to reach out a pluck one of the stars from the sky. She sighed and turned back to her room. It was getting late. "Are you ever going to bed, Theodora?" came a voice from across the room.

"Yes, Erika," she sighed, rolling her eyes at the impatient blonde. She cast one last glance back at the velvet sky, then retreated to her bed, next to Erika's. But she wasn't ready to go to sleep. "Erika? Do you think we'll ever get to travel outside the Hebe Kingdom?"

"I don't know," came Erika's muffled reply. She turned over so that her gaze met Thea's. "But for right now we'll be staying right here. It doesn't look like the tension between the kingdoms will let up anytime soon, so we might as well just stay here and enjoy what we've got."

"That's easy for you to say," grumbled Thea, "You have guys chasing you around all day long. I have to spend my time training to me a princess. I'll probably end up in an arranged marriage to some shmuck that I don't even _like_, let alone _love _and I'll be miserable for the rest of my life!" Suddenly a silk pillow came in contact with her face.

"Now," said Erika sternly, "You will stop being so negative and either go to sleep or I'll make you!" Then her look of anger dissolved and she winked at Thea before returning her head to the pillow and resuming sleep. Thea decided she might as well follow suit and lay down, ready to dream about flying around that black velvet sky.

***********


	3. Gail

Chapter 1: Gail

Chapter 1: Gail

The scream echoed throughout the palace halls. Dhara's eyes were filled with sorrow, anger, torment, and hatred as she looked upon the scene. Then the tears started to flow and she turned away. "Dhara! Dhara, honey! Baby! Wait! I can explain!"

"No!" she shouted, "I don't need to hear any shit from you!" She turned back into the room violently and pointed an accusing finger at the girl, who was still clutching the bed sheets around her nude form. "And you, you little…WHORE! You are hereby banished from the Tyche Kingdom by order of me, Queen Dhara! You stay away from my Arnold, you stay away from my home, and you stay away from my country! Now get out of here you little bitch before I throw you in the dungeon!"

The poor girl gathered up her clothes and threw her dress over her head, then scrambled out the door. The king, meanwhile, was still desperately trying to make peace with his wife. 

************

Gail trudged through the land, tears streaming down her face. Her dress was torn from the wind of this strange land and her hair was all windswept and soaked with rain. Her whole body ached and she felt like a fragile china doll that could break at any minute. Her spirit was tattered and her dignity was in shreds. She was so tired, and finally her legs gave way beneath her and she collapsed in the mud, still crying and clutching her stomach where she knew a baby was being formed. 

It was hours before he found her. Just this helpless heap laying on the ground, dress torn and her face streaked with tears. He wondered how such a lovely girl could end up face down in the mud like this. Who could be so cruel? The storm was getting worse so he scooped her up into his arms and carried her off to his place to warm up. Doris and June could take care of things from there. 

************

She suddenly felt warm all over and immediately opened her eyes to discover the source. There was a woman in front of her, washing her face while another scrubbed the mud out of her short hair. "Ah, the girl's awake!" proclaimed the first woman. 

The second woman drew away from her task for a moment to see for herself. "Why, so she is!" she exclaimed merrily, "Why, Doris, she's such a pretty girl without all that mud on her face!" she smiled warmly at the still somewhat frightened girl. "What is your name, dear?"

"Gail of Tyche," she said softly, tears gently forming in her dark eyes, "P…please, I don't mean any harm. I've been banished from my home and had nowhere to go. I'm sorry if I trespassed or something, but I was just so tired and the storm was so awful that I–"

"Tut tut," silenced the taller woman, "Nonsense. You were in trouble and my cousin saved you and brought you here. We wouldn't dream of sending you back out there. Now come, you should take a bath and when you're done we'll have some nice clothes laid out for you. Then I want you to get some rest and we'll all get to know each other in the morning."

"I…um…thank you ma'am," said Gail, standing up, "I am v-very grateful for your hospitality. I just wish to know, who are you two nice ladies to take such good care of me?"

"I am June and this is my older cousin Doris," smiled the shorter woman, "Our cousin Harold brought you here. You can meet him tomorrow."

"But where am I?" asked Gail, still shivering from her lack of clothing.

"Why Gail, you're in the Kingdom of Thetis," smiled Doris, then the two women shooed her into the bathroom and left to find her some clothes.

************

When Gail finished her bath, she found a beautiful light blue nightdress waiting for her. It was made of silk and felt cool and slick against her skin, like water. She found a brush on the bureau and brushed out her short, brown tresses into their little bob. She turned around and looked at the bed for a moment, relishing in how comfortable it must be. But then thoughts of why she was there came to her mind and she started to cry. She sat with her face in her hands, crying tear after tear full of loss and sorrow and loneliness. She could never go back. Never again. She was banished from her own home and it gave her the worst feeling in the pit of her stomach. And yet, here she was in a strange land with these people being so nice to her. They took her in, gave her clothes, and treated her like a human. Her head swan with thoughts and her heart and stomach felt like they were swirling around in a sea of oblivion. She had to get up, move. Do something.

She crept into the dark, foreboding stone hallways of the building, lit candle in hand. Everything looked to eerie at night and she felt like she was the only ball of light forever. She made her way through the building, looking this way and that, just trying to clear her head. Her footfalls were so soft on the smoothly polished floor that they barely made a sound. Finally she reached a small prayer room and kneeled before the crystal towers. "Thank you, Goddesses, for leading me here in this time of need. These people are so nice to me and Doris and June seem very friendly. I wish good upon all in this land and I only hope for the best for my child. I will have her learn to be like the wind, fast, unpredictable, and of strong spirit. And finally, I wish future happiness for the man who saved my life. I am forever indebted to that generous soul and I hope that when I meet him he is very kind."

"Thank you," came a voice from behind her. She stood up and swung around, coming face to face with a tall blue-haired man. 

"I…I was simply th-thanking everyone that has been so very kind to me," she stuttered nervously.

He approached her slowly, a slight smile on his face. "I must say, you look very pretty without all of that mud caked all over you. My name's Harold."

Gail shivered. He was now standing mere inches away from her and the proximity made her nervous. She could feel his warm breath on her face. "I…my name is Gail," she choked out.

"Gail?" he mused, "That's a lovely name. Kind of like a storm, hmm? Seems appropriate since I found you in the middle of a storm, wouldn't you say."

"I guess," she replied. She couldn't understand why she was still shivering when this sudden warm feeling seemed to burn throughout her body. Suddenly, she realized that his face was getting closer and before she knew it, his lips had captured hers in a in a gentle kiss that just cleared all of her thoughts away.

******5 Years Later******

Through the door the king could hear the screams of the crying child. He stood up from his chair as a nurse came through the door, holding the newborn babe. "It's a girl!" she exclaimed joyfully. She handed the bundle to the speechless king as three youngsters eagerly crowed around for a look. He bent down so that each could take a look at the princess. 

"She looks like daddy!" exclaimed the light-haired tomboy.

"Yeah, her blue hair looks just like Uncle Harold's," agreed the aqua-haired maiden, "But her eyes look more like Auntie Gail's."

"Lemme see!" whined the brown-haired girl on the other side, "What's her name gonna be, Uncle Harold?"

The king took a long look at his peaceful baby daughter. "I think I'll name her Harmony," he said.

"She does look pretty peaceful," agreed the aqua maiden, "I think it's a lovely name."

The light-haired tomboy simply looked at her new sister quietly. "Princess Harmony of Thetis, yeah."

************


	4. Beginnings

Chapter 2: Beginnings

Chapter 2: Beginnings

The afternoon sun shone brightly over the fields where Helena stood, practicing with her target. Ender noted that her concentration was getting better. The arrows flew swiftly through the air and almost always landed a direct hit. For a priestess, she wasn't that bad. Out of the corner of his eye, he spied two figures coming from the direction of the palace. It was probably Aaron and Eloisa. 

************

Helena watched as her father and mother walked past her to where her cousin stood watching her on the hill. It seemed odd for them to just walk past her like that, and she was getting this oddly negative vibe off them. "Oh no."

************

Ender watched in shock as his aunt and uncle departed across the field. Dead? How could this happen? People rode all the time. How could they just die on him like that? This sudden feeling of loss and agony swept through his soul and he collapsed to the ground, a horrible scream erupting from his throat and reaching to the heavens. He wasn't sure what to do, how to let loose these feelings that swelled up in his stomach and the hole that he felt forming in his heart. He wanted to tear at the grass, pull out his hair, and run all at once. But he couldn't. So he just stayed in his position on the ground, bowed down to the grass, and cried his tears.

************

It had been a week since the deaths of his parents and Ender was still locked away in his room. He hadn't been anywhere in days and barely ate – he couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to do anything. This hurt that he felt inside was so painful that all he really wanted was to just die and end it all. But he knew he couldn't. he had to be strong. He had to just get out of bed and face the music. Suddenly he sat up. Yes! That was it! He wouldn't stay in his room feeling sorry for himself! He was Prince Ender, heir to the Tyche Kingdom! He leapt from his bed and ran to the door, flinging it open. The door banged against the wall like a crack of thunder, scaring the servants. But he simply ignored them, charging outside and into the rain.

************

Helena was sitting in front of the sacred fire when the door to the shrine flew open and Ender charged in, soaking wet and with a look of sheer determination on his face. She gasped at the sight of him. "Ender?"

He ignored her and slammed the door shut, marching over to her and sitting down on the opposite end of the fire. "Helena," he breathed, "Gaze into the fire for me. Tell me what you see."

Helena was rendered speechless, so she obeyed and looked into the leaping flames. She concentrated, eyes going hollow and face turning to stone. She made shapes with her hands as she gazed at the images presented before her. "I see," she said, "I see I great power within you. The earth power of Eunan, just as I carry Feronia's great powers of fire. And I see others. Others, yes. You all…you all have the powers of the gods – you are their human counterparts. They are in the heavens and you are here on Earth. Each…each has a different power. I see a warrior with Thora's thunder, a scholar with Dima's icy waters, a woman with the soul of a man controls Anil's winds, a maiden has Pelagia's ocean waters. Then there's two sets of sisters…the dark sisters are Shinja's death and rebirth and Senko's Eternal powers of time. And the other two – the light sisters – one has Ife's love and the other Delwyn's great powers of the moon. I see she is very strong and stands within your life circle. If you take her, you can join her powers with yours and create a great force. You will one day rule us all with this power if you play your cards right."

Helena snapped out of her trance and watched Ender, as he contemplated his new findings. He seemed deep in thought as he stared off into space. She could feel a plan formulating in his head, see the look in his eyes that said he was thinking hard. Then he stood, abruptly, and inclined his head. "Thank you, Helena," he said swiftly and turned heel, leaving once more. Helena turned to the columns of Feronia and Eunan and whispered softly. "What has started here?"

************

Julia thrust her sword once again at the imaginary enemy before her. "Ha!" she yelled.

"That was good, but this next time I want you to kneel down and duck his slash, then strike up with your elbow and not your wrist." Victoria watched as Julia once again attempted to strike down her foe. The girl was definitely improving, though she still hadn't reached the skill level of the elder cousin. Nevertheless, she could still tell that one day she'd become one of the kingdom's finest. As she watched Julia practice the new sequence over and over, she was interrupted by a tap on the shoulder. Without turning her head she knew who it was. "Hey Jules," she said stopping the girl mid-jab, "Take a break and go have some sandwiches with Mona. I'm gonna go inside for a few minutes."

The younger wiped the sweat from her brow and nodded her affirmation. "Okay Vic," she panted, "I'll see you at dinner."

"Alright," smiled Vic as she walked away, "And don't forget to practice that finishing move some more."

The tired warrior-in-training nodded and shot her a smile before breaking into a run in the direction of her snacking cousin.

"You work her too hard." 

Vic smiled and turned to see Nerissa, the aqua-haired maiden, waiting patiently behind her. "Yes," she smiled, "But if I didn't train her, who would? The girl's got spirit, that's obvious, and I'm just helping her focus it in the right direction."

"I see," said Nerissa, "Well, c'mon then. Let's head in." She took the tall light-haired tomboy by the hand and led her inside the massive stone building. 

Once inside, though, she released her hold and ran off, leaving Vic to chase after her. They ran down hallway after hallway, up and down stairs, laughing the whole time. Every now and then, one would shush the other, reminding them that they were supposed to be quiet. Eventually they reached a musty old section of the castle, seemingly blocked off from the world. There were boards set up to block the way and things scattered everywhere. Nerissa simply slipped between them all, still evading her pursuer. Vic lost sight of her in the jumble however, despite this, she still seemed to know which way to go. She found threads here and there from where Nerissa's dress must have caught and chuckled to herself, thanking the fact that her parents allowed her to wear trousers like a man. Eventually she wound her way into a small room, with a large four poster bed in the middle and a floral pattern surrounding. She found Nerissa gazing out the window, and snuck up from behind, wrapping her arms around her waist. Nerissa simply smiled to herself. "I was wondering when you'd find me," she said softly.

"I always find my way, somehow," whispered Vic into her hair.

Nerissa giggled lightly, then turned in Vic's embrace. "I know you do. You can't stay away from me that long." Then she leaned up and kissed her, tenderly, on the lips, savoring the peaceful moment.

************

Some time later found Nerissa and Victoria sneaking back through the halls, snickering and trying to rearrange their clothes. They stole kisses as they moved through the hallways, Vic trying to tie up her shirt and Nerissa smoothing out her hair. Suddenly they were stopped by a voice. "Ladies, we were wondering when you'd decide to join us." 

Both girls stopped dead in their tracks and looked to the left. Inside the prayer room stood Victoria's mother, as well as Harmony and Julia, who were giggling like mad. The two caught older girls just stood there blushing with their eyes averted. "He-hello Queen Gail, girls," they said nervously and walked into the room, realizing they had been caught and waiting for the inevitable. 

But the understanding queen simply smiled. "Well, now that you two have finished with your little fun, we can move on to business. I have called all of you here for a special reason."

At this, Vic looked up, suddenly all business. "Called us? What for?"

The queen became solemn. "To tell you all the truth of your heritage." Everyone became quiet, and listened intently. "I guess I should start with my part, to get it out of the way." She turned sadly to Vic, who had a look of no fear on her face. "Victoria, dear," she said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Harold isn't your real father."

Victoria was dumbfounded. "Isn't my – but how?"

"I think I had better explain," sighed the queen, "I was a servant girl from the Tyche Kingdom. When I turned sixteen, I was promoted from the kitchen staff to be a handmaiden for Queen Dhara, who had grown fond of me. This is how I met King Arnold. The king was a handsome man and had a certain charm and charisma that I just couldn't resist. I was a gullible young girl, not quite knowing in the ways of the world. One night he came to me in my bed and seduced me. I didn't think much about our secret affair at first, but then I started to hate myself for it. I was torn up inside and I felt bad for doing this to my dear friend. I tried to break it off with him, but to no avail. 

"Then, one night the Dhara caught us together. She banished me from the kingdom and I was left to wander outside, looking for a place to stay. Eventually, this large storm started and I was caught in the middle, I was so tired and both my body and spirit were tattered. I fell unconscious along Thetis's walls and Harold came and got me. Doris and June took care of me and gave me new clothes and shelter. I became like a surrogate baby sister to them. I was miserable, though. I knew I could never return home and make things better again. And worst of all, I knew I was pregnant with Arnold's child. But Harold took care of me and showed me love and tenderness I've never felt before. We got married and I felt so safe and happy. Then, when you were born, Victoria, he took you in as his own as if the whole other part of my life never happened he helped me start over. 

"However, I don't think I can ever forgive the Tyche royal family for what they did to me – to us. And now, I can feel it inside of me. There is a shift of power happening over there already. The root of something evil. When that evil rises, Victoria, I'll need you to stop it."

"An evil mother?" asked Harmony nervously. Worry immediately flashed through her eyes.

"A great evil," said Gail sadly, "Victoria's older half brother. Ender." Everyone gasped. The revelation proved too much for Vic, though, who fell to the ground. Nerissa was immediately beside her, in an attempt to comfort. "Oh, my poor baby!" cried Gail, kneeling down and taking Vic into her arms. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but I didn't want to hurt you. Just, please, understand. I'm not a whore!"

Vic's head snapped up and she looked into her mother's teary eyes. "NO!" she said, "No, mother, you're not a whore! I never thought you were. Its not your fault – its not. But…what about Ender? Is he…?"

"No," Gail shook her head, "Ender's mother is the queen. But, that's part of the problem. The boy…I get this feeling of pure evil from that child. And now, Arnold and Dhara have died and he is going to assume the throne. I'm afraid of what this could bring to my people. That is why you all must train!"

"Train, Mother?" asked Vic, "What do you mean?"

The queen stood up along with Victoria and looked at the girls. "Oh, my darlings. You are the ones that must stop Ender."

"But how, Mother?" asked Harmony, confusion evident in her eyes, "What chance do four girls stand against a whole kingdom?"

"That's just it," smiled Gail suddenly, "You are more than that! Each one of you is the mortal half of a god's soul! You carry the power within you to fight. Julia has thunder, Victoria has wind, Nerissa has ocean waters, and Harmony has cold rain waters. You can each practice your own form of magic." 

Then the queen produced a small crystal and held it before them. Each girl's chest started to glow. Then a crystal floated before them, surrounded by light. "Girls, take up your crystals and move over to the crystal tower that calls to you most. Then concentrate on becoming one with your other half."

The girls, for lack of objection, closed their eyes and moved to their separate towers. As each approached, their towers started to glow in sync with their crystals, and they were absorbed inside. There was a brilliant flash of light, and Gail was nearly blinded.

***********

Harmony stepped up to her crystal, not quite knowing what to expect. She had always been an intelligent girl, but this simply defied all logic. Suddenly she felt as if she had been turned into little rain drops and was absorbed into the large crystal tower. Everything was so bright and she felt so strange, inside and out. This magnificent light surged throughout her body and she felt like water was swirling around her. Then a voice came to her.

"Harmony." Pause. "Harmony."

"Yes?" she asked tentatively.

"Open your eyes, Harmony," said the voice.

************

"Why should I?" bit our Julia, a little angrily.

*Smack* "Just do it, Julia!" snapped the voice.

"Alright already! You don't have to get violent!" Still rubbing her sore head, Julia opened her eyes to be met with…herself? "Hey, what gives?" she asked, "You look like me!"

"That's because I AM you, in a way," said the figure, "My name is Thora and I am the Goddess of Protection. You are the mortal half of my soul. The time has come for us to rejoin as one, so that we may train for the impending battle."

************

"What battle?" asked Nerissa. She didn't like the sound of this.

"The battle between good and evil," said the figure before her, "Against Feronia, the Goddess of War and Eunan, the God of our Earth."

"But if he is the God of our Earth, why must we fight him?" 

"Because," said the figure stonily, "If we don't he will corrupt the Goddess of Sanctity and bring destruction to our world's fair balance."

"Who is this girl who is the Goddess of Sanctity?" asked Nerissa, "Who must we protect?"

"Sadly, I cannot say," said the figure, "That is why we must fight Eunan and Feronia from the beginning. We can't let them get even close!"

************

Victoria nodded. Then she looked back at the figure before her. It was male, somehow she knew, but in every other respect he was exactly like her. Should she trust this? She must. She had to believe the word of her mother. She was needed to protect the fate of this world, and protect it she would. "Do you understand me, Victoria?" he asked. She nodded once again. "Then we shall join," he said, "Close your eyes."

She obeyed and he stepped into her. There was the windswept feeling again, but this time she could almost feel her body melding with his. Her soul was becoming one with hers once again.

************

The light finally died down and Gail looked on as each girl stepped out of her respective tower, as if they were made of nothing but air. Then they took their turns approaching her. 

Harmony walked forward first, wearing a short skirt and a breastplate. The outfit somewhat resembled a sailor's uniform. In her hand, she held a bow and on her back was a quiver of arrows. "I am Dima, Goddess of Wisdom and icy waters."

Next came Julia, wearing an outfit similar to Harmony's, but in greens and pinks instead of blues. She a large battle axe and Gail could see a dagger tucked into her boot. "I am Thora," she said, "Goddess of Protection and thunder."

Then stepped up Nerissa, wearing navy and aqua colors and holding two long, sharp silver daggers. "I am Pelagia, Goddess of Affinity and the ocean depths."

"And I," said Vic steeping forward, "Am Anil, God of Flight and the winds." Vic stood there in dark navy slacks and warrior's armor, holding a large silver-hilted sword with both hands, a sheath at her side. Gail just stood there in awe. "We are the ones that will fight the evil to save this world. But until then, our mortal halves shall train for when that day comes. We shall lie dormant within them, but they may practice their powers. However!" bellowed Vic, "When the time comes we shall join as one and woe unto the person who stands in our way!"

Then there was another flash of light and the girls were returned to normal. But each knew they were changed forever.

************

Helena gasped as the light went away. She turned to her cousin and blinked. "Are you still Eunan or is Ender back?"

"I'm Ender again," confirmed the dark-haired man, "Are you still Feronia or are you Helena?"

She sighed with relief. "Helena once more," she assured him, "At least for now."

Ender had an excited glint in his eye and concentrated hard. The ground started to shake, and then was silence again. Then he conjured a flower – a rose – and threw it. It flew swiftly through the air, then sliced through robe hanging on the wall. "I must practice this," he mused to himself. Then he turned to Helena. "What can you do, dear cousin? What of your fires?"

Helena concentrated and touched the ground. A fire sprouted from her fingers and rushed across the floor, spreading up the wall and lighting the robe on flames. When Helena looked at ender, she could see a similar fire glowing in his eyes. He smiled at her. "This is just the beginning." 

************


End file.
